Vancouver rooftop farm to serve up fresh greens galore

How does your garden grow? Some Vancouver entrepreneurs have come up with a whole new approach by building a mechanized garden on the roof of a parking garage.

The process centres around two sets of conveyor belts which move 3,000 trays of leafy green vegetables upwards and downward, and forwards and backwards.

The $2 million system makes maximum use of natural light and reduces the need for 350-watt artificial light bulbs.

Representatives of Alterrus, a Vancouver company specializing in vertical farming technology, hope to grow 70,000 kilograms of greens and herbs annually. They will be sold in local groceries and upscale restaurants.

“Everybody’s looking for a local sustainable salad that doesn’t come from California,” said Alterrus strategic adviser Donovan Woollard at a news conference.

“We’re looking to put more systems in Vancouver and other cities,” he said. “There aren’t many viable ways of producing leafy greens in northern North American climates.”

Woollard said the intensive farming practice allows 10 times as much food to be grown per square metre as in traditional fields.

Mayor Gregor Robertson said his green city plans are bearing fruit.

“This is no substitute for farms, but it is a very innovative approach to growing greens in a whole new way,” he said.

“It is great to see this come to fruition,” he said.

Robertson said the location made sense because jobs were created and the top of the parking garage was not being used. Alterrus is paying “market rates” for the space.

“These are revenues we were not getting because the parking was not at capacity,” he said.